During the panel, creator Eric Wald opened up about the inspiration for the series and why they set it in the real world.

“There’s a supernatural element but we wanted to include as much real science as possible,” he says.

Meanwhile, Rena revealed just why the mermaids were coming back to the surface in the show.

“What brings the mermaids to the surface is that the seabeds have been stripped of their supply of food,” she says. “So they have to come to the surface in search of food, and one gets caught. It’s a very environmental factor.”